“He made us laugh. Hard,” Crystal said while standing on a darkened stage, below a projected image of Williams. “He made us laugh big time ...”

During the tribute, which came at the end of the traditional In Memoriam segment, Crystal made his first public comments about Williams since the actor-comedian was found dead in his Tiburon home on Aug. 11.

Crystal, his voice quivering at times, recalled Williams’ comic brilliance and boundless energy. “I used to think that if I could just put a saddle on him and stay on for eight seconds, I was going to be OK,” he said.